This Week In Palestine: Irish academics explain why they too call for boycott

Today we take an in-depth look at the call for the academic boycott of Israeli educational institutions as called for by the American Studies Association (ASA). This call has led to enormous flap on several US campuses as well as a welcomed broad discussion of Academic Freedom. We will try to get behind that discussion by tuning into a fascinating recorded press conference by an organization called Irish Academics for Palestine in Dublin where Irish academics explain to the media why they are calling for a similar nationwide boycott of Israeli academic institutions In Ireland. It includes an examination of the historic patterns of discrimination against Palestinian academics inherent in the Israeli system, as well as a look at the principles of Academic Freedom. Joining the Irish Academics is a Palestinian professor and author, and an Israeli academic, both of whom add important context to the discussion. Many of the discussions of academic freedom that we have seen concerning the ASA call for the academic boycott have dealt with the principles of academic freedom without the needed context of political reality. That is provided here. The coverage of the Academics for Palestine Press conference includes the introduction of all of the participating professors and their full presentations and a portion of the question and answer period.